Human Frailty
by A-Stretched-Mind
Summary: hi peeps, this is the story formerly known as minnie vs. hillary. but since i finally got to start watching s4, I got an actual name for it! YAY! minnie thinks alf is a victim of human frailty.
1. Chapter 1

It was a perfect autumn day in Lark Rise; the sun was out, and the air was crisp and cool. Minnie would be coming over around three o'clock for a walk. Alf and the girls were just home from church. After the Arlesses changed out of their church clothes they went out to play. Alf sat down with Patience in his lap. He hummed a soft tune absently as he watched people go by on the road. Then he saw a girl he recognized from his days in school, her name was Hillary. When she noticed him, she veered off the pathway toward him.

"Well! If it isn't old Alf Arless! I haven't seen you in ages. You look just as handsome as ever." She seemed almost too friendly. Alf smiled, just a bit uncomfortable. He stood up.

"Hello, Hillary. Nice to see you again. Been a few years, has it?" She nodded, her long sandy colored hair blowing in her face. She squinted in the sun.

"Who's this?" she asked, tickling under Patience's chin. The baby giggled. "She yours?" Hillary said with a smirk.

"Oh, no. Patience is my baby sister."

"So why do you have her? Where's your mar?"

Alf looked to the side. "She's—away."

"Oh! Well don't you need someone to help look after the girls, then?" she said slyly with a wink. Alf was feeling quite uneasy.

At that very moment, Minnie was coming up the road. She saw a girl put her hand on Alfie's shoulder. Minnie got angry fast. Who was this girl and what did she want with her Alfie? Minnie ducked behind the side of a nearby cottage and peered out, straining to hear what they were saying.

The girl said, "We should... sometime..."

He said, "Great... but maybe..."

She said "...alright... I'm sure..."

Minnie was shocked and hurt. By then, she'd heard enough to know she didn't like the girl or the way she spoke to Alfie. But she wasn't going to say anything, not yet. She didn't know how long these two had been flirting, and Minnie wanted to see where this was going.

Minnie acted like everything was as left last time she's met with her boy. She stepped inconspicuously out from behind the cottage and resumed skipping down the path, a perhaps overenthusiastic smile on her face. "Hello!" she cried as she waved her arm widely over her head.

"There she is now," Alf said. "Hi, Minnie!" he called back to her. When she was by his side, he said, "Minnie, this is Hillary, an old acquaintance from the schoolhouse. Hillary, this is Minnie, my girl."

"Nice to meet you," Hillary greeted her, holding out her hand. Minnie shook it.

"Pleasure." she replied with a small grin. "Well, Alfie, we'd best be on our way. Bye, Hillary." Minnie said this with purpose, trying to hint to Hillary that she should go.

"So long." Hillary said.

Alf bid her farewell, and she promptly turned on her heel and walked away, but glanced back over her shoulder, smiling deviously at Minnie, who, in return, glared pointedly at Hillary.

"Come on, Lizzie, Sally, we'll just leave you with Queenie while we go walking."

The young Arless sisters answered agreeably with a "Yay!" Then Minnie and the Arlesses were on their way.


	2. Chapter 2

When the group arrived at the Turril's house, Alf chatted a bit with Queenie. Meanwhile, Minnie stepped aside with Twister.

"Mr. Twister," Minnie started, rather awkwardly, "I'm afraid I might need a bit of help with something." Twister raised an eyebrow and cocked his head in curiosity.

"And what is it then, lass that you're needin' help with?"

"Well, I was on the path, comin over to Alfie's cottage, and I saw him talking v to another girl his age"— Twister let out a chuckle—"and... he was smilin', and laughing a little..." she said, a bit embarrassed. Twister chortled again. "What I mean to say is the girl was flirtin with my Alfie, and I'm not sure if he was flirtin back!" she finished hurriedly.

"So you want me to keep and eye on him to see if there's something goin on, is that what you're sayin?" Minnie nodded quickly and heartily. "Ah, I'll supervise... Heh, supervisor, pretty good, 'ol Twister..." At this point, he was talking to himself.

"Thank you, Mr. Twister!" Minnie said gratefully.

"Are you ready to go, Minnie?" Alf asked.

"Mm-hm." Minnie nodded and joined him by the door. She took his hand and they were out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

A week later, Minnie woke up happy. She had done well last night and was given the day off. Having set aside last Sunday's run-in with Hillary, she decided to bring Sydney on a walk to Lark Rise around one in the afternoon. She brushed the pale green curtains on her bedroom window out of the way and looked out her window at the town clock, checking the time. Eight twenty-four. Then she noticed someone familiar. Oh no, she thought, it's Hillary. What is she doing here? Then she noticed Hillary seemed to be walking with quite some purpose. Minnie's eyes widened with shock, but then she realized what she had to do.

Minnie raced down the stairs. "What ever are you doing, running around like a mad girl?" Miss Lane exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh, please excuse me, mum I _must _hurry!"

"In your—"Minnie was slammed the door "—night dress...?" Laura sat still at the breakfast table, beside herself trying not to laugh. Thomas's brow furrowed, he was feeling thoroughly confused. Dorcas shook her head in wonder.

Minnie was halfway down the street when she finally caught up to Hillary. She did get a reasonable number of strange looks from townsfolk, but what Minnie was currently concerned with was more important to her than her clothes she hadn't had time to change. She followed Hillary for a while, just far enough to stay unnoticed. Hillary trailed off and entered a house in Lark Rise that must have been her own, or at least no one Minnie knew. Let alone not Alfie's. Minnie sighed in relief and left Hillary alone. However, she took the opportunity to talk to Twister while she was in Lark Rise.

"Have you seen anything?" Minnie asked, finding herself to be a bit nervous. She hoped the answer to her question would be no, but she realized she was slightly doubting it.

"Oh, I've seen something," Minnie's shoulder's dropped in disappointment. "But, Minnie, don't worry, lass. Every time they're out there, conversin' and such, it's this girl who starts the talking. So, don't get upset over Alfie. It's not his fault, and he's doin what he can for you." Twister had a self-satisfied grin on his face when he leaned back in his rocking chair. Minnie thought about his words for a moment but was interrupted by Twister's asking, "I hope you don't mind my askin', but why have you come all the way her in yer... night dressings?"


	4. Chapter 4

There was four more times Minnie saw Hillary talking to Alf in such a flirtatious way.

And it was four more time when Minnie had had enough.

Alf had been sitting on a bench outside the post office one afternoon waiting for Minnie. The Hillary came out of Amos Wardup and Son Shoe Store. Hillary spotted Alf sitting idle there and headed toward him, smiling widely. Minnie saw through the window. She tensed up but quickly tried to relax herself. She said aloud "Stuffy in here. I think I'll just open this window..." then half-ran to the window nearest Alf and opened it just a little, only wide enough to hear what they would say that would inevitably take a turn for the worse for Minnie. The window creaked open, and Minnie bent her head down to hide her face in case Hillary looked up.

"Alf! I've got somethin' in this bag o' mine!"

"And what would that be?" Alf said, standing to talk to Hillary and pretending to be interested.

"Well, as you know, my pa raises cattle for a living, so I've come here to sell the leather of our cows to Old Amos. And since I am the one bringin it about, I get a small allowance of each delivery I make."

"Well! That is kind of your pa."

"Yes, I know it! So, now that I have it with me now, and we're both in Candleford at such a _favorable—_" she said this last word very drippily "—time of day, I thought we two might visit the Golden Lion for a treat!"

"Oh well that's generous of you, but I'm out here waitin' on my girl to come out on lunch break." (He said 'my girl' with pronounced emphasis, to hint "I LIKE HER, NOT YOU", but it seemed she just didn't get it.)

_"Please_...!_"_ Hillary reached up and twirled a lock of Alf's curly hair. He hastily took a large step away from her, his cheeks bright red. This took it _much_ too far for Minnie and Alf, especially the former.

"Um, I should—"

"_Al_fiiiieeee_..._!" Hillary said playfully. "Really? That silly little maid?"

Minnie was enraged with this girl. Exactly who did she think she was? Before she could stop herself, she was out the door, charging at Hillary.

"!" She ran, at full speed, at Hillary. Hillary turned just in time for a quick yelp. Her jaw dropped at the sight of 'that silly little maid' sprinting at her, yelling, with her cleaning cap flying off. Minnie tackled Hillary to the ground. Alf's mouth hung open, his eyes wide. He was too stunned to do anything, so he just stood over them, speechless at the sight of his gentle Minnie on top of his innocent friend.

Curious onlookers on the street around them uttered words of shock and disbelief, as well as some of slight amusement. Pearl Pratt watched from her window. "Oh! Good Lord!" she said to herself. Thomas Brown, who was out walking with his wife, stuttered "oh—er—Minn—uh" as he looked around nervously, wondering whether he should do something or if he should laugh. Margaret giggled a little with her hand over her mouth.

There was much kicking, pulling of hair, and swearing (only from Hillary, of course). Minnie's arms flailed spastically and Hillary's hat flew high into the air. Alf finally came to his senses and pulled Minnie up, holding her back by the arms. Hillary picked herself up and dusted herself off. "Oh my God!"


	5. Chapter 5

Alf sat Minnie and Hillary down in the dining room of the post office. He said, "Minnie, is there anything you feel you should say for yourself?"

Minnie swallowed. "I'm sorry I... tackled you," she sighed. The two girls both looked disheveled, with their hair out of their fixings. Hillary's cheek was red and sore, and she rubbed it gingerly as she nodded her head, acknowledging Minnie's apology.

"Look," Alf said, "You're a great person and everything, but I love Minnie, and she loves me."

"Yeah," Minnie interjected, "He loves _me_."

"And I know it was uncalled for for Minnie to react to your flirtin the way she did, but you mustn't speak to people in a relationship the way you did with me."

"Oh, I know, it's just..." Hillary searched for the right words for what she felt. "I've never had a boy of my own. I've felt so... alone ever since I noticed girls my age goin courtin with boys. So I go out and chase after boysI don't even really like that way once I see em with a girl. Just to make the girl feel the way... the way I always do. So Minnie, I am truly regretful about flirtin with your Alf. I will try to control my immature habit. I've been a disgrace to you, and to many others, and to myself. I will leave you to it." Hillary stood, nodded, turned, and walked quietly away. Minnie scooted her chair back from the table and rose to leave, avoiding Alf's eyes to get away with out getting told off by him. But he looked at her and raised his eyebrows and tilted his head, with a slight look of reprimand on his face. Minnie sat back down.

"I don't understand. Why were you so jealous? Don't you know I only want you?"

Blushing, Minnie said, "I guess I thought, why would a boy like you, who could get any girl he picked, choose a girl like me, when a girl like Hillary come along? It seemed as though you would like Hillary better than me. I thought you would leave me. For her."

Alf's eyes softened and he smiled sympathetically. "How could I leave you? For anyone else? Why would I?"

"Hillary is beautiful, and clever. She lives closer to you. She's taller."

"But I love you. _Only _you." Minnie looked up to meet his eyes and smiled.

"I know. I love you too." She stood and intended to kiss him but he beat her to it. He leaned down and cupped his hand around the back of her neck, holding her waist with the other. He pulled her face to his lips. They kissed softly and Minnie flung her arms around him. She felt his strong hand as it tightened on her back pulling her closer. When they finally pulled away, Alf said, "Let's go." She took his hand and ducked under his arm so that it landed across her shoulders. They left the post office smiling and headed off to take a long walk.

THE END

I hope you liked this story. PLEASE review!


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